The Architizer A+Awards 2015 Gala is just around the corner! With the kickoff of NYCxDesign this weekend, the “Oscars of Architecture” is two days away, and the star-studded event is all but guaranteed to be a highlight of this week’s design festivities. Now in its third year, the definitive architecture awards program culminates with the red-carpet event during New York’s citywide, 11-day design festival.
As always, we’ll be honoring the best and brightest contemporary architects and designers, and once again, Architizer will confer several Special Achievement Awards in keeping with the collaborative spirit of the A+Awards program. Five honorees will be presented with the following Special Achievement Awards in acknowledgment of their contributions to the field of architecture and design:
© SsD
“Dare Greatly” presented by Cadillac: SsD
New York/Seoul-based architecture firm SsD approaches design as a convergent, interdisciplinary venture that aspires to bridge the pragmatic and the utopian. Presented by Cadillac, the “Dare Greatly” Award honors reinvention, risk-taking, and excellence in architecture.
© Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Firm of the Year: Reiulf Ramstad Architects
Reiulf Ramstad Architects (RRA) is an Oslo-based architecture firm with a reputation for designing bold, simple architecture with a strong connection to the Scandinavian context and landscape. Reiulf Ramstad has produced a wide range of innovative and groundbreaking projects with an exceptional variation of scale and program.
Impact: 14+ Foundation
The 14+ Foundation is an NYC-based nonprofit founded by Joseph Mizzi and Nchimunya Wulf to develop schools and orphanages in Africa. Their model is to “Design-Fund-Build and Operate” schools with a focus on quality design to inspire change and engage the community.
Product: August Smart Lock
August, cofounded by technology entrepreneur Jason Johnson and renowned designer Yves Béhar, launched its flagship product, the August Smart Lock, in Apple stores nationwide in October 2014. The innovative Bluetooth®-low-energy smart lock combines intelligent software and hardware that enables smartphones to replace keys.
Advocate: The Lego Group
LEGO® Architecture celebrates the past, present, and future of architecture through the medium of the LEGO Brick, inspiring minds of all ages as they learn about the world’s most iconic buildings and structures. Beloved around the world, the building toy has long inspired new generations of architects and designers.
This year, the night of the A+Awards Gala also marks the launch of the first-ever A+Awards book featuring the 120 Jury and Popular Choice winners that collectively represent the state of architecture in 2015. Published by Phaidon, the premier global publisher of the creative arts, the beautiful hardcover anthology is available for preorder now and will be available at the event on Thursday, May 14.